Fishing Basics: How to Choose the Right Soft Bait Lures

 

Fishing bait lures are among the most useful tools in any tackle box, since they let you cover water quickly while copying the look and movement of the food that fish already chase. Unlike live bait, which needs to be kept fresh and alive, a soft bait lure stays ready for the next trip and can be swapped out in seconds when the bite changes. Among all the options out there, soft plastic baits stand out for being cheap, easy to rig and quite lifelike in the water, which is why they show up in nearly every angler's bag.

Types of Soft Bait Lures

Worms

Worms are the classic choice and definitely the most popular soft plastic for bass, since the long, thin body wiggles with almost no effort from you. A straight tail worm gives a slow, subtle swim, while a ribbon tail or curly tail adds extra motion that helps draw attention in murky water. Since these essential lures for soft bait can be fished on the bottom, under cover or through weeds, they're a good place to start for anyone new to the sport.

Swimbait

Swimbaits are built to look like small baitfish, which makes them a top pick when bass, pike or walleye are feeding on shad and other minnows. Most have a paddle tail that kicks back and forth on the retrieve and this action alone is often enough to trigger a strike without any extra work.

Grubs

Grubs have a short, round body and a single curled tail and this simple shape makes them one of the most reliable fishing soft baits for panfish, crappie and small bass. The tail curls and flutters even on a slow pull, which helps mimic insects and small larvae that fish feed on all year. 

What Matters

Material

Material affects how a bait feels and moves and it's one of the first things to look at. When you pick up lures soft bait at the store, squeeze one to check how firm it feels. Soft PVC plastic is the most common since it's cheap and holds color well, while blends with added salt or oil tend to feel more natural to a fish that bites. Firm plastics, as you'd expect, last through more strikes, but they can feel stiff and move less in cold water, so a softer body is usually the better bet when the bite is slow.

Hooks

Hooks are just as important, since a great bait with the wrong hook loses fish. Wide gap hooks are designed for thick baits like creature baits and fat worms, because the open space lets the point pass through the plastic and set firmly. Thin baits such as grubs work better with a smaller hook, which keeps the bait from bunching up and helps it swim straight.

Heads

Heads come into play when you fish soft plastics on a jighead, which is a hook with a weighted ball of lead molded onto it. A round head is a solid all-around pick, while a football head stands up better on rocky bottoms and a bullet shape slips through weeds without getting caught. The weight is quite important as well, since a light head lets the bait fall slowly and a heavy head gets it down fast in deep water or strong current.

Species

Species should guide both the size and the style of the bait, as a bait that works for one fish can be ignored by another. Largemouth bass will hit large worms and swimbaits, while trout and crappie usually prefer small grubs and thin tails that match the tiny food they eat. Walleye and pike, on the other hand, go for paddle tails that look like bigger baitfish, so it helps to think about what the fish in your lake are actually eating before you pick.

Conditions

Conditions like water clarity, temperature and light also change what works best. In clear water, natural shades such as green pumpkin, brown and watermelon are definitely a good fit, while bright colors like chartreuse or black and blue stand out much better in stained or muddy water. Cold water slows fish down, which is why smaller baits with gentle action tend to do better, whereas warm water gets fish moving and lets you use bigger fishing soft baits with more motion.

Soft Lure Rigs

Texas

The Texas rig suits weeds and wood, since the hook point is buried in the plastic so it doesn't catch much, while a bullet weight slides above the bait and lets it slip through cover. A firm, quick hook set is needed to drive the point through the plastic.

Jighead

The jighead rig is the simplest of the three, since the weight and hook are one piece and unlike the Texas rig, the point is exposed, which snags more but hooks fish more easily in open water. It pairs well with grubs and paddle tails.

Carolina

The Carolina rig places the weight well ahead of the bait, with a swivel and a leader of two to three feet between them. While the weight drags on the bottom, the bait floats up behind it, which is especially good for covering flats and helps you feel rocks and weed edges.